RALLY-inspired high performance cars are to return to the entire Ford range with the resurrection of the RS and Cosworth logos. Making its world debut at the show was a pre-production version of the Ford Focus RS which is scheduled to appear in UK showrooms next spring.

The new model also marks the return of the Ford Rallye Sport brand. The Focus RS will be followed by a Focus ST late next year and the manufacturer has hinted that a Cosworth-badged Focus will also be launched, signalling the return of the ultimate high-performance Ford badged car.

The Focus RS features a 200 bhp-plus turbocharged version of Ford's 2.0-litre Zetec engine, front-wheel drive and a chassis tuned tuned for sports responsiveness. Inside, the specification will be functional, but with a 'built-for-racing' look that will include bucket-style seats, carbon fibre-type panels and a World Rally Championship Ford Focus-style starter button.

Prices and full technical specifications for the Focus RS will be revealed closer to the car's on sale date. Meanwhile, in revealing the car in Birmingham, Martin Leach, Ford's vice-president of product development, said further performance derivatives across the Ford model line-up would appear and hinted that the Cosworth name could be restored.